The present invention generally relates to an apparatus, a system and a method for transforming a container into an article. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus, a system and a method that operate as a vending machine. A user may deposit the container and/or money into the vending machine. The container may be an empty beverage container, such as, for example, an aluminum soda can and/or a plastic bottle. The money may be deposited as, for example, cash, coins, tokens, credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards and/or checks. The apparatus and/or the system may have a receiving bay for receiving the container. The apparatus and/or the system may have one or more deposit slots for receiving the money. After receiving the container and the money, the apparatus, the system and/or the method may analyze a shape of the container, a barcode on the container, and/or a weight of the container to determine whether to accept the container as a suitable container or to reject the container as an unsuitable container. If the apparatus, the system and/or the method rejects the container as an unsuitable container, the apparatus, the system and/or the method may return the unsuitable container and/or the money to the user.
If the apparatus, the system and/or the method accepts the container, the apparatus, the system and/or the method may cut in half, wash and/or dry the container creating component parts. The apparatus, the system and/or the method may further cut, press, flange and/or wrap the component parts into an article. The article may be a toy car and/or other novelty item that may be desirable to the user. Before and/or after depositing the container and/or money into the apparatus and/or the system, the user may select the article to be manufactured. The apparatus, the system and/or the method may have a window that may allow the user to observe the container transformed into the article. The apparatus, the system and/or the method may use additional fasteners and/or materials to form the article from the container. The apparatus, the system and/or the method may have a delivery bay for delivering the article to the user. Further, the apparatus, the system and/or the method may deliver one or more decals to the user for use in decorating the article. The apparatus, the system and/or the method may be controlled by a programming logic control (PLC). The apparatus, the system and/or the method may have one or more marks and/or advertisements.
It is generally known that vendors and/or retailers sell beverages and/or other consumable to consumers in one and/or more single serving containers (hereinafter “the containers”), such as, for example, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles and/or the like. The vendors and/or retailers may incorporate a cost of a manufacture of the containers and/or a cost of a material of the containers in a selling price of the beverages. Typically, after the consumers drink and/or remove the beverages from the containers, the consumers may dispose of the containers in one or more ways. The consumers may dispose of the containers by placing the containers in the garbage and/or by sending the containers to be recycled.
After consuming and/or removing the beverages from the containers, the consumers may not recoup the value of the cost of the manufacture of the containers and/or the cost of the material of the containers. Further, the consumers may not use the containers for a purpose other than for holding, for drinking and/or for removing the beverages from the containers. Further, manually transforming the containers into an article useful for another purpose may be inconvenient to the consumers, may be difficult for the consumers and/or may be time consuming for the consumers. Moreover, the vendors, the retailers and/or one or more interested parties may not capitalize from the transforming of the containers if and/or when the consumers manually transform the material of containers into an article.
A need, therefore, exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method for transforming a container into an article. Additionally, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method for transforming a container into an article that operate as a vending machine that may allow a user to deposit the container and money into the vending machine. Further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that has one or more deposit slots for receiving the money. Still further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that may analyze a shape of the container, a barcode on the container, and/or a weight of the container to determine whether to accept the container as a suitable container or to reject the container as an unsuitable container. Still further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that may return the unsuitable container and/or the money to the user. Still further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that may cut in half, wash and/or dry the suitable container creating component parts. Still further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that may further cut, press, flange and/or wrap the component parts into an article. Still further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that may allow the user to select the article to be manufactured. Still further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that may have a window that may allow the user to observe the container transformed into the article. Still further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that may use additional fasteners and/or materials to form the article from the container. Still further, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that may have a delivery bay for delivering the article to the user. Moreover, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that may deliver decals to the user for decorating the article. Additionally, a need exists for an apparatus, a system and/or a method that may advertise to one or more users.